Twelve gunshots are fired after the first Oktoberfest keg is tapped.
The signal follows the mayor of Munich’s ceremonial tapping of the first keg in the Schottenhamel tent. After the mayor announces “O’zapft is!”—Bavarian for “It is tapped”—twelve shots are fired from the stairway of the Ruhmeshalle. The shots tell the other festival restaurateurs that they may begin serving beer.
The ceremony has been a regular opening tradition since 1950, when Mayor Thomas Wimmer performed the first modern official tapping. The number of shots is separate from the number of blows needed to drive the tap into the keg, a detail that often causes confusion. The mayor’s tapping performance is closely watched, and records are widely discussed.
The first Maß is traditionally served to the Bavarian Minister-President. The opening takes place at noon on the first Saturday after 15 September, followed by beer service throughout the tents. “O’zapft is!” therefore marks more than a toast: it is the official starting signal for the festival’s beer service.